April 1/03 4:00 am - Jeanson Takes Lead at Redlands

Posted by Editoress on 04/1/03

Jeanson Smashes Record at Rubidoux Time Trial in RedlandsCourtesy Team Saturn

The 19th Annual, six day, Redlands Bicycle Classic kicked off to today with the Mt. Rubidoux Time Trial Although the initial stage is the same as in years past, major changes await the riders in the next few days. The peloton will face the first of the changes tomorrow in a technical circuit in the neighborhood of Highlands, and then again on Friday in the Panorama Circuit race which is billed as featuring one of the toughest climbs in any American cycling event.

Today's five kilometer race was an individual effort on a technical city streets and then curving around Mt. Rubidoux. Mt. Rubidoux is a historic site, known for the tunnel that runs underneath the road the riders use for the ascent; the mountain itself was used to send smoke signals throughout the valleys to warn of incoming danger.

With an extremely competitive field in both the women's and men's race, everyone was eager to see where the climbers and the power riders would stack up. On the women's start line, Genevieve Jeanson, Lyne Bessette, Manon Jutras, Kimberly Bruckner and Amber Neben all were being watched for fast times. Also present were mountain bike phenoms in Alison Sydor and Alison Dunlap. All in all there were five defending champions on the race roster, and all were keen to repeat their prior results.

Fastest time was initially set by T-Mobile's Kimberly Bruckner with a 10:03. However, everyone waited to celebrate until the record holder, Jeanson finished. With Jeanson and Bessette last off, the final results kept everyone on their tip toes with anticipation. In the end it was Genevieve Jeanson smashing her record with a 9:43, besting Bruckner by 20 seconds.

Jeanson's ride put her into the Yellow Leader's Jersey and gives her a nice comfortable cushion for tomorrow's Highland Circuit Race ahead of T-Mobile teammates Bruckner and Neben. Manon Jutras of the Saturn Team finished with a 10:06 - missing the third spot on the podium by milliseconds.